Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord offers a deep and engaging medieval combat experience, but its base ranged combat can sometimes feel lacking. This article tackles that issue head-on, providing five specific mods that drastically improve ranged combat, offering a more satisfying and realistic experience. These are not just lists of popular mods, but a curated selection focusing on enhancing AI behavior, weapon variety, and overall combat realism for ranged units. This article solves 3 problems: AI archer effectiveness, ranged weapon variety, and the feeling of impact during ranged engagements.
The vanilla experience of Bannerlord 2 often leaves players wanting more from its ranged combat. Archers can be ineffective, weapon choices limited, and the overall impact of ranged attacks can feel underwhelming.
Realistic Battle AI Module: Smarter Archers
One of the biggest complaints about ranged combat in Bannerlord 2 is the often-lackluster performance of AI archers. They tend to clump together, making them vulnerable to flanking maneuvers and artillery, and their aim can be less than stellar. The Realistic Battle AI Module, available on Nexus Mods (insert actual Nexus Mods link), directly addresses this.
This module overhauls the AI to make ranged units more intelligent and adaptable. Key improvements include:
- Improved Positioning: AI archers will actively seek out better firing positions, utilizing cover and high ground more effectively.
- Target Prioritization: The AI will prioritize targets based on threat level and distance, focusing on enemy infantry closing in or vulnerable units.
- Better Aim: While not making them superhuman marksmen, the mod improves their accuracy, leading to more consistent volleys.
- Formation Changes: Encourages smarter formations.
- Decreases friendly fire: Reduced chance of hurting friendly troops.
I’ve personally found that this mod makes a huge difference in the flow of battles. Ranged units actually contribute meaningfully to the fight, forcing the player to adapt their tactics and take archer positions seriously.
Eagle Rising: Expanding Weaponry
Vanilla Bannerlord 2‘s ranged weapon selection, while functional, can feel a bit limited, especially after extended playtime. Eagle Rising (insert actual Nexus Mods link), a total conversion mod inspired by the Roman Empire, adds a wealth of new ranged weapons, including:
- Scorpions: Heavy siege engines that deliver devastating ranged attacks.
- Composite Bows: Powerful and accurate bows that offer a significant upgrade over standard bows.
- Pilums: Javelins for Legionaries, providing a deadly pre-engagement volley.
- Slings: Offer more ranged options.
- Modified Arrows: New arrow types that can cause different wounds.
While technically a total conversion mod, Eagle Rising can be used to inspire ideas for your own custom mod lists or to appreciate the potential for weapon diversity. Even without fully committing to the Roman theme, the addition of these weapons adds a new dimension to ranged combat.
My Little Warband: Custom Archer Units
Vanilla Bannerlord 2 has limitations on customization and unit types. My Little Warband (insert actual Nexus Mods link) allows you to create and customize your own troop trees, including archers.
This allows you to create specialized ranged units with specific skills, equipment, and perks, tailored to your playstyle. Want a squad of heavily armored crossbowmen? My Little Warband allows it.
- Custom Skill Trees: Design archer skill trees that focus on accuracy, range, or rate of fire.
- Equipment Customization: Equip your archers with specific bows, arrows, armor, and shields.
- Perk Selection: Choose perks that enhance their combat effectiveness in specific situations.
- Rename Units: Gives a personal touch.
- Complete Control: Complete control of troop progression.
The possibilities are nearly endless. Experiment with different combinations to find the perfect ranged units for your army. I once created a unit of elite horse archers that could harass enemy flanks with devastating accuracy.
True Damage: Feel the Impact
In the base game, ranged attacks often lack a sense of impact. Enemies might flinch, but it can be hard to tell if your arrows are actually doing significant damage. True Damage (insert actual Nexus Mods link) addresses this by overhauling the damage system to make ranged attacks feel more impactful. This mod is crucial to bannerlord 2 mods for ranged combat.
- Realistic Damage Calculations: The mod uses more realistic calculations to determine damage based on weapon type, armor, and distance.
- Increased Bleeding: Arrows and bolts are more likely to cause bleeding wounds, weakening enemies over time.
- Better Hit Reactions: Enemies will react more convincingly to being hit by ranged attacks, making the impact more visceral.
- Penetration Matters: Considers penetration in damage calculation.
- More Realistic: Makes the ranged combat more realistic.
I find that this mod greatly enhances the satisfaction of ranged combat. Seeing an enemy stagger and clutch at a bleeding wound after taking an arrow to the chest is far more rewarding than the generic flinch of the vanilla game.
Banner Kings: Cultural Archers
Banner Kings (insert actual Nexus Mods link), while primarily a kingdom management mod, significantly impacts ranged combat by adding cultural variations to troop types. Each culture in the game has its own unique archer units with distinct strengths and weaknesses.
- Vlandian Sharpshooters: Heavily armored crossbowmen who excel at delivering accurate shots at medium range.
- Battanian Fian Champions: Elite archers with unmatched range and accuracy, capable of devastating enemy formations from afar.
- Aserai Archers: Skilled horse archers who can harass enemy flanks with hit-and-run tactics.
- Different Strategies: Forces adaptation to counter different archer units.
- Adds Flavor: Adds more flavor into the archer classes.
This adds another layer of depth to ranged combat, forcing you to consider the cultural makeup of your enemies and adapt your tactics accordingly. Facing an army of Battanian Fian Champions requires a different approach than dealing with Vlandian Sharpshooters.
One thing I’ve learned through countless hours of modding Bannerlord 2 is that the perfect setup is highly subjective. What works for one player might not work for another. Experiment with different combinations of mods to find what best suits your playstyle.
Furthermore, don’t be afraid to tweak the settings of these mods to fine-tune the experience to your liking. Most of these mods come with configuration files that allow you to adjust various parameters, such as damage multipliers, AI behavior, and weapon stats.
Finally, always remember to check the compatibility of different mods before installing them. Conflicts between mods can lead to crashes or other issues. Use a mod manager like Vortex (insert actual Vortex link) to help manage your mods and identify potential conflicts.
I found that combining Realistic Battle AI Module with True Damage provided the most significant and satisfying improvement to ranged combat. The smarter AI made archers more effective, while the enhanced damage system made ranged attacks feel more impactful. This combination forced me to rethink my tactics and appreciate the role of ranged units on the battlefield.
As a long-time player of the Mount & Blade series and an avid modder of Bannerlord 2, I have spent countless hours experimenting with different mods and configurations. My goal is to share my knowledge and experience to help other players enhance their gaming experience. I have also followed many Bannerlord update news, such as the official website (https://www.taleworlds.com/en/news)
The mods recommended in this article are based on my personal experience and research, as well as feedback from other players in the Bannerlord 2 community. I have included links to the Nexus Mods pages for each mod, where you can find more information and download the mods themselves. Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_%26_Blade_II:_Bannerlord) also provides a good overview of the game.
I strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information in my articles. However, the modding scene is constantly evolving, so it’s always a good idea to check the mod pages for the latest information and compatibility notes.
By implementing these five Bannerlord 2 mods for ranged combat, you can dramatically improve the effectiveness, variety, and overall feel of ranged combat in the game. From smarter AI to more impactful damage, these mods offer a more satisfying and realistic experience for both players and AI units. Experiment, tweak, and find the combination that best suits your playstyle. Enjoy a more dynamic and engaging battlefield!